Wound Irrigation in the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Surgical site infection in colon surgery is associated with significant cost and increased length of hospital stay. Recently, there has been interest in the use of pulsed lavage to reduce the risk of surgical site infection in contaminated wounds. Although increasingly used and gaining popularity, its effectiveness in elective colorectal surgery has been poorly documented.